Panchakshara Mantra Om Namah Shivaya

Om Namah Shivaya (Panchakshara Mantra, five syllables) is the most potent and popular mantra, which is at the heart of the Vedas and Tantra, and is widely used in this and other variations in the Himalayan tradition, as well as by others. While there are other descriptions of the mantra, the following focuses on meanings for mantra meditation leading to Self-Realization.

OM/AUM: The three parts of Om (A-U-M) encompass the three states of waking, dreaming, deep sleep, the three levels of gross, subtle, causal, and the three levels of conscious, unconscious, subconscious, as well as the three universal processes of coming, being, and going. Absolute silence beyond the three levels is the silence after AUM. It also refers to Tripura, the one who live in the "three cities" as in Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, as well as the light referred to in Gayatri Mantra.

Namah/Namaha:. Nothing is mine (as an individual person); everything is thine (as the Absolute Reality). The three levels of Om, the three worlds of gross, subtle, and causal, along with the three states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states of consciousness, as well as the three levels of conscious, unconscious, and subconscious themselves are "not mine" as the true properties of who I really am. Truly, "nothing is mine." Rather, everything, all of these triads is "thine" or the "other" as the Absolute Reality.

Shivaya/Shiva: That Absolute Reality that is the ground out of which the others emerge. It is that "ink," so to speak, that is not separate from the many forms which may appear to manifest or be created from that ink. In the Realization of this, one comes to see that he or she is one and the same with the Absolute Reality. The Mahavakyas, the great utterances, are seen to be true. Shiva (the static or ground) and Shakti (the active or creative) are seen to be one and the same. She (Shakti), while one with Shiva is realized in direct experience as the one in the three worlds (Tripura) outlined in Om.

The Five Sacred Syllables: The Om Namah Shivaya mantra has five syllables: na-mah-shi-va-ya (sometimes called six syllable mantra by including Om). Thus, Om Namah Shivaya mantra is called five-syllable mantra, or Panchakshara Mantra (panch means five). Among other things, these five represent the five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space. Thus, the Om Namah Shivaya mantra leads awareness in the reverse order from manifestation back to the source from which manifestation arose.

अथ शिव पञ्चाक्षर स्तोत्रम्

Atha Śiva Pancākshara Stotram नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय।

Nāgendrahārāya trilocanāya bhasmāngarāgāya maheśvarāya |

दिव्याय देवाय दिगम्बराय तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय॥१॥

divyāya devāya digambarāya tasmai Na-kārāya ~ namah śivāya ||1||

मातङ्गचर्माम्बरभूषणाय समस्तगीर्वाण गणार्चिताय।

Mātangacarmāmbarabhūshanāya samastagīrvānaganārcitāya |

त्रैलोक्यनाथाय त्रिपुरान्तकाय तस्मै मकाराय नमः शिवाय॥२॥

trailokyanāthāya tripurāntakāya tasmai Ma-kārāya ~ namah śivāya ||2||

शिवामुखोम्भोजविकाशनाय दक्षस्य यज्ञस्य विध्वंसनाय।

Śivāmukhombhojavikāśanāya dakshasya yajnasya vidhvamsanāya |

चन्द्रार्कवैश्वानरलोचनाय तस्मै शिकाराय नमः शिवाय॥३॥

candrārkavaiśvānaralocanāya tasmai Śi-kārāya ~ namah śivāya ||3||

वसिष्ठकुंभोद्भवगौतमाय मुनीन्द्रवेद्याय गिरीश्वराय।

Vasishthakumbhodbhavagautamāya munīndravedyāya girīśvarāya |

श्रीनीलकण्ठाय वृषध्वजाय तस्मै वकाराय नमः शिवाय॥४॥

śrīnīlakanthāya vrishadhvajāya tasmai Va-kārāya ~ namah śivāya ||4||

यज्ञस्वरूपाय जटाधराय पिनाकहस्ताय सनातनाय।

Yajnasvarūpāya jatādharāya pinākahastāya sanātanāya |

नित्याय शुद्धाय निरञ्जनाय तस्मै यकाराय नमः शिवाय॥५॥

nityāya śuddhāya niranjanāya tasmai Ya-kārāya ~ namah śivāya ||5||

पञ्चाक्षरमिदं यः पठेच्छिवसन्निधौ।

pancāksharamidam yah pathecchivasannidhau |

शिवलोकमवाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते॥

śivalokamavāpnoti śivena saha modate ||

॥ इति श्रीपञ्चाक्षरस्तोत्रं संपूर्णम् ॥

|| iti śrīpancāksharastotram sampūrnam ||

TRANSLATION:

Panchākshara Stotram

Hymn of the Penta-Syllabic

(na-ma-shi-vA-ya)

By Adi Shankārācharya

To the One embodied in the syllable na, adorned with a serpent garland;

To the three-eyed Lord, besmeared with ashes, to the great Ruler over all;

To that eternal One, who is pure and sky-clad, salutations be unto Shiva. ||1||

To the One embodied in the syllable ma, honored with the waters of Mandākini and anointed with the paste of sandalwood;

To the Lord of Nandi, the Bull, who rules over all the hosts of tormentors; To that great Lord worshipped with myriad flowers, with Mandāra flowers;To that ever-blissful One, salutations be unto Shiva. ||2||

To the One embodied in the syllable shi, who, like the Sun, causes the lotus face of Gauri (Shakti) to blossom;

To the Destroyer of the yajna of Daksha, to the Blue-Throated One;

To the Bearer of the emblem of the bull, salutations be unto Shiva. ||3||

To the One embodied in the syllable va, venerated by Vasishtha, Agastya, Gautama and other noble sages, as well as hosts of Devas;

To the One whose three eyes are resplendent like the sun, moon and fire;

To the Bearer of the Moon-Crest, salutations be unto Shiva. ||4||

To the One embodied in the syllable ya, who takes the form of a Yaksha;

To the One with matted locks, to the Bearer of the pināka bow, that Primeval Lord;

To that effulgent God, the sky-clad One, salutations be unto Shiva. ||5||

Whosoever recites this Hymn of the Penta-syllabic in the presence of God Shiva;

He will certainly attain the Supreme abode of Shiva;

And enjoy everlasting bliss with Him. ||6||

aum namaH shivAya